I am currently a FM for VMGR-452 And this pretty much describes my training. I went through boot camp, Marine Combat Training, then on to Pensacola for water survival training (aircrew candidate school), after candidate school you go over to the navy school house and attend there AD school which is a power plants school where you learn the basics, Then they ship you off to Brunswick Maine where you go to a 2 1/2 week SERE school. After SERE school I was sent to Cherry Point MCAS and went to J model Crew Chief Ground school. From there their was a slot open to VMGR-452 on the "Old Plane" that no one else wanted, I thought it would be neat to learn the old one too, figured the chance wouldn't be there for long. So I got qualified for flight training on the J and left for NY to start FM ground school in house at NY, which was by far the hardest training I had been through. After I passed the ground phase I started flight phase, after completing all my codes and a check ride I finally got pined and received my wings. FE's are picked from the FM but very few do it, most of us get out. I only know three that have tried to become FE's and two of them have dropped out of FE training. I have been pondering the idea of FE training but with a family to take care of it is very hard FE students fly MANY hours to try and learn and get qualified ASAP, and it is not easy. FE training is supposed to be coming to an end but with budget cuts I don't foresee us getting J models soon as promised many times before.